Lopes welcome Huskies for 3-game series


Grand Canyon Lopes (6-9)	vs.	Northern Illinois Huskies (3-2)
		Saturday, March 6 1 and 3:30 p.m.
Game Notes		Live Video Live Stats

The Grand Canyon softball team returns home for a three-game series against Northern Illinois after one of the Lopes' toughest weekends of the season. GCU fell to 6-9 after going 1-4 against a slate that included three games against two top-25 programs. Northern Illinois comes to Phoenix with only five games under its belt and has not played since Feb. 21. The Lopes and Huskies will play a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. in GCU Softball Stadium, where they will return for a 1 p.m. game on Sunday.

Video will be streamed on GCULopes.com

THREE THINGS TO KNOW

500 WINS: Head coach Ann Pierson is four wins away from reaching 500 career victories. The GCU skipper has guided seven 30-plus win seasons and two 40-plus win seasons.
FOUR EVERY-DAY STARTERS: Four Lopes have started in all 10 games this season: Gianna Nicoletti, Savannah Tourville, Anjolee Aguilar-Beaucage and Kristin Fifield. Nicoletti has continued her offensive success from last season by leading the Lopes in batting average (.404) and on-base percentage (.517) this season. Tourville has made starts at four different positions this year (third base, second base, first base and designated player). She ranks second in most offensive categories: batting average (.317) slugging percentage (.439) and on-base percentage (.463). Aguilar-Beaucage, a freshman, is 14 for 45 with the second-most RBIs (nine) on the team. Despite being new to the outfield, Fifield has taken command in center for the Lopes. She also has a team-high 10 RBIs and ranks second in runs scored with 12.
FINDS A WAY ON: Tourville has a team- high streak of reaching bases in 13 consecutive games. She has been hit by pitch on a team-high five occassions and is second on GCU in walks with seven.

SCOUTING

Northern Illinois comes into the three-game weekend series at 3-2. NIU opened up the season at the FGCU Invitational last month in Fort Myers, Florida, where the Huskies took on Connecticut, Florida Gulf Coast and Florida International. NIU is hitting .234 and averaging 6.0 runs per game. In the circle the Huskies have an ERA of 1.85. Six players have started every game. Junior catcher Carley Goetschius has a team-high batting average of .429 and a .714 slugging percentage with a double and a home run. Fellow junior and catcher/ infielder Katie Keller is second in batting average at .375 and has a .563 slugging percentage. Keller has two extra-base hits as well with a double and the Huskies' only triple. Kelly Wallinski, a sophomore infielder, has a team high of five RBIs. She is hitting .214 with three doubles for a .429 slugging percentage. In the circle, freshman Claire Norred has logged 18 innings, including a complete game and a shutout, with an ERA of 2.72 and 17 strikeouts.

LAST TIME OUT

GCU hosted two top-25 teams in the GCU Purple Classic last weekend. Despite dropping four of five games, the Lopes hung with No. 25 Iowa State in their final game of the Classic. GCU defeated New Mexico in five innings on the 10-run rule.

WHAT'S NEXT

The Lopes will host Northern Illinois at 5 p.m. Wednesday in GCU Softball Stadium.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Anjolee Aguilar-Beaucage

Kristin Fifield

Gianna Nicoletti

Savannah Tourville

Grand Canyon University Athletics